DALLAS—Colonel Paul E. Owen, currently the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Washington D.C., is slated to take command of the Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, headquartered in Dallas. Owen will assume command from Brig. Gen. David C. Hill in a ceremony June 29 in Dallas. Hill will become the commander of the Corps’ Transatlantic Division in Winchester, Virginia.

“I am looking forwarding to leading the Southwestern Division team and working with our partners throughout the great southwestern region,” Owen said. “The Southwestern Division has an outstanding reputation in all areas of our Corps mission: delivering vital engineering solutions in collaboration with our partners, securing our Nation, energizing our economy, and reducing our risk from disaster. I look forward to helping find the right solutions to satisfy our shared goals of support to our communities and to our national security.”

Owen was commissioned as an Engineer Officer from the U.S. Military Academy in 1990, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. He holds a Master of Science in Engineering Management from Missouri University of Science and Technology and a Master of Science in Nuclear Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Prior to his assignment as the Corps’ Chief of Staff, he commanded the Transatlantic Afghanistan District, USACE, headquartered at Bagram Airfield from June 2015 through July 2016. He also previously commanded USACE New York District, headquartered in New York City, from September 2012 through May 2015, where he coordinated the Federal engineering efforts for FEMA during initial response actions after Hurricane Sandy, and led the implementation of a $3 billion region-wide recovery program designed to reduce the risks of future coastal storms in New York and New Jersey. He also served in various command and leadership positions in the Engineer Regiment in the United States and overseas, including multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Owen’s military awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, and Combat Action Badge. He is also a recipient of the Army Engineer Association Silver de Fleury Medal. Colonel Owen grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.